Episode 988 (13th July 1970)
Plot Len is in a bad mood at the yard. Elsie rings him to come round as she needs to speak to him. He does so and she tells him about the marriage proposal from Alan. She doesn't want him to come into her life again and asks Len to get that through to him. Emily rings Ray and summons him to the Camera Shop. Ena and Minnie watch Len's comings and goings from the Corner Shop. Emily tells Ray that a £30 camera is missing from the shop. He asks for a couple of hours to sort the matter out himself before she rings the police though she is reluctant to involve them. He also realises the tools he gave to Frank Bradley and Judd Johnson to do the job are missing. Betty and Bet gossip about Elsie and Alan. Alan asks Ena for help. She tells him that she can't pick fellers and how much he hurt Elsie - he's the latest in a long line of let-downs she's suffered. Len warns Alan off Elsie, telling him to leave her alone before he gets leant on. Minnie lets slip about the marriage proposal when Betty, Emily, Maggie and Bet gossip about Elsie and Alan and wonder what's going on. Ray can't find Frank and Judd and he now owes Len for the tools and Emily for the camera. The two suddenly turn up in the Rovers with the tools and an excuse of having broken down after sleeping overnight at a friend's in Stockport. Ena calls on Elsie and advises her to take Alan on rather than spend the future alone, as it's something she's never got used to herself. Frank and Judd refuse to admit they took the camera and tell Ray they'll report the matter to the police themselves. Elsie has a heart to heart with Val and tells her she's lost trust in men. Ray sees that Frank and Judd are flush with money at the bar but they claim they've had a win at the dogs. Alan tells Len that he's decided to leave the area. Elsie admits to Val that she's kidding herself and that she wants Alan more than she's ever wanted anyone in her whole life. Cast Regular cast *Alan Howard - Alan Browning *Maggie Clegg - Irene Sutcliffe *Elsie Tanner - Patricia Phoenix *Betty Turpin - Betty Driver *Ray Langton - Neville Buswell *Emily Nugent - Eileen Derbyshire *Valerie Barlow - Anne Reid *Sandra Butler - Patricia Fuller *Len Fairclough - Peter Adamson *Ena Sharples - Violet Carson *Minnie Caldwell - Margot Bryant *Kenneth Barlow - William Roache *Bet Lynch - Julie Goodyear Guest cast *Frank - Tommy Boyle *Judd - Neil Kennedy (Credited as "Jud") Places *Rovers Return Inn - Public/Snug *11 Coronation Street - Back room/kitchen *Corner Shop *Fairclough and Langton - Yard and office *Camera Shop Notes *Tommy Boyle makes one of several pre-Phil Jennings appearances as Frank. *''TV Times'' synopsis: In which Elsie has a change of heart - and Lucille a change of boyfriend (Note: the reference to Lucille was out-of-date by the time the episode came to be recorded as Jennifer Moss was written out of the programme for several weeks following the death of Arthur Leslie) *Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 6,750,000 homes (2nd place). Notable dialogue Ena Sharples: "Elsie Tanner was born stupid, she's learnt nowt and forgotten that." --- Elsie Tanner: "Ena Sharples has got enough flamin' tongue for two sets of teeth." Episode 0988